Making a Difference
2012–2013
Building Strong Families Builds Stronger Communities
The Situation
Strong, stable, and resilient families are crucial
to the health and well-being of individuals,
communities, and society. Children and adults
with stable and satisfying family relationships
experience greater emotional stability and
health. A research-based model of family
strengths delineates six major qualities strong
and successful families exhibit across cultures
and family types.
What We Did
K-State Research and Extension provides skillbuilding educational programs focused on
family strength. Agents work with local
collaborators to offer programs to fit the
community’s needs and environment.
The U.S. Department of Defense and federal
AmeriCorps program awarded $123,225 to
K-State Research and Extension’s family studies
and human services faculty for Kansas Operation Military Kids. The program provides
services to military youth and families on and
off military installations. Within the nine
Kansas counties involved during the 2013 fiscal
year, 47 stand-alone programs served 274 Army,
48 Army National Guard, 12 Air Force, and 21
Air Force Guard youth and families; 30
community presentations reached 704
participants; and 133 community volunteers
provided 450 hours of service to the program.
An 8-hour train-the-trainer session on building
family relationships was delivered to 25 Head
Start family service personnel and home visitors
who work with limited-resource parents. An
after-school program for 4th- and 5th-graders
also focused on relationship building.
We used technology to deliver parent education
to support pre-literacy skill development of
preschoolers. A program called Text4Parents
sent 25 enrolled parents weekly text messages to
help them encourage basic developmental skills
in children to ensure kindergarten readiness.
Lessons on respect and manners were presented
to 186 students in kindergarten through 6th
grades and 22 teachers in four school districts.
Agents delivered Character Counts educational
sessions to kindergarteners through 4th graders
in local school systems.
Training and skill-building education in
communication, personal development, child
care, and child development was delivered to a
local Youth Residential Center to prepare
residents to return to their home communities.
Participants consistently report that they learned
critical skills to teach others and use themselves
to foster stronger and healthier relationships.
K-State Research and Extension has been
heavily involved in creating a Circles Campaign,
with the goal of reducing poverty and building a
more prosperous community. In another county,
the agent works with 10 community coalitions
to help teach basic living and relationship skills
to residents in low-income housing and homeless shelters, inmates in a correctional facility,
state aid recipients, families being helped by the
Salvation Army, and other limited-resource
families. Skill building in personal and family
living is the focus for participants.
Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service
K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work, Acts
of May 8 and June 30, 1914, as amended. Kansas State University, County Extension Councils, Extension Districts, and United States
Department of Agriculture Cooperating, John D. Floros, Director.
Outcomes
One local unit celebrated more than 20 years of
coordinating Parents’ University in which 30
agencies have collaborated to address family and
child issues. Approximately 7,000 parents have
participated and they consistently indicate that
they gain information and skills to strengthen
their families.
A stress management program was delivered to
community groups. Participant comments
included:
• “It’s sometimes hard to think of stress as a
choice, but this really drove home that it is a
conscious choice and I can make a different
choice.”
• “I never realized how much stress affects our
body, and the biological component to that.
I found it interesting that a ‘stressful
reaction’ can lower my immune function for
hours after the situation occurred.”
An outdoor program for families called G2G
— Got 2 Go (Outside) — was offered in one
county.
Success Stories
In the 8-hour relationship training session for
Head Start, participants indicated they learned
different ways to use effective and positive
communication skills, parenting skills to share
with different family types, benefits of conflict
resolution, co-parenting tips, parenting
strategies for better relationships with children,
how to de-escalate situations, how to help
families compromise, and new ideas to
communicate the importance of father
involvement. • One participant said she learned “to view
things in a new perspective as a single
mother and how I can take the knowledge,
put it to good use, and share with other
families.”
• Another participant mentioned learning
“some characteristics that will improve
communication in my home life and
professional life.”
• One appreciated learning “to be more aware
of how I am communicating with family.”
Families in a “Circles of the Heartland”
community recently graduated from a 15-week
training class. During the training, a single
mom was chosen as a Habitat for Humanity
home recipient, and she credits her “Circles”
involvement for much of her motivation and
courage to apply. Two single moms are now
pursuing college degrees.
Another positive result is increased social capital
of the families, who report they have doubled or
tripled the number of people in their lives that
they can count on, indicating stronger support
systems as a result of their participation. Those
who have completed the entire 18-month
program in Kansas report a 20% reduction in
debt and a nearly 70% reduction in public
benefits. Participants also see a modest increase
in their income — about 15% — as well as a
nearly 20% increase in assets.
Contacts
Charlotte Shoup Olsen
Family Studies and Human Services Specialist
785-532-1948
colsen@ksu.edu
Elaine Johannes
Family Studies and Human
Services/Youth Development Specialist
785-532-7720
ejohanne@ksu.edu
Bradford Wiles
Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Development
785-532-1939
bwiles@ksu.edu
Pat Gerhardt
Family and Consumer Sciences Agent
River Valley District
785-243-8185
pgerhard@ksu.edu
Lisa Newman
Family and Consumer Sciences Agent
Central Kansas District
785-309-5850
lmnewman@ksu.edu